Aiming-tube adapter for quick-firing guns



v A. T. DAWSON ET AL. AIMING TUBE ADAPTER FOR QUICK FIRING GUNS.

Jan. 9, 1923.

FILED SEPT. 20. 1922.

Patented Jan. 9, 1923,

UNHTD stares ARTHUR rrnnvoa DAWSON AND GEORGE Trier/ins BUCKHAM, or WESTMINSTER,

LoNDoN, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS T0 vroxn'as I ITED,orwnsrrvrmsrnn, LON- DoN, nNeLANnn BRITISH'OOMPANY.

AIMING-TUBE ADAPTER FOR QUICK-FIRING GUNS;

Application filed September 20, 1922. Serial No. 589,833.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that we, Sir ARTHUR TREVOR DAWsoN, bart., and Sir, GEORGE THOMAS- BUOKHAM, knight, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at Vickers House, Broadway, lVestminster, in the county of London, En land, have invented certain new and useful fmprovements in or Relating to Aiming-Tube Adapters for Qnick-Firlng Guns, of which the following is a specification. i This invention relates to Ordnance having breech mechanism of the wedge or sliding block type and has for its object to make improved provision for the employment of a small-calibre aiming or practice barrel with-,

in the bore of the gun.

According to the present invention the practice barrel is unprovided with its .own breech mechanism and firing mechanism and is so constructed and arranged that its cartridge can be wedged into and held in position in the chamber ofthe tube by the existing breech block of the gun and can befired by the existing firing mechanism carried by the said breech block; means are also provided for extracting the cartridge case of the practice barrels during the movement of the breech block to its open position.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect the same will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a horizontal longitudinal section of the breech end of a gun provided with an aiming or practice barrel in accordance with our invention, and

Figures 2 and 3 are respectively a sectional rear elevation and a sectional plan drawn to a larger scale than Figure l, the plane of section of Figure 2 being indicated approximately by-the line 2, 2 of Figure 3 and the plane of section of Figure 3 being indicated approximately by the line 3, 3 of Figure 2.

A represents the breech end of the gun, B represents the sliding breech block which is operated by a crank B on the actuatlng shaft B as is well understood and C represents the aiming or practice barrel.

In the construction shewn the practice tridge chamber of the gun, is formed at. its

rear with a flange G which corresponds sub-' stantially with the flange of the" cartridge used in the gun and which is also formed wlth projections C C for co-operating with the walls I), b of the breech recess of the gun Lass? to prevent angular movement of the practice barrel during firing. The cartridge chamber of the practice barrel is'so formed that when a cartridge C is seated therein its tube Wlll be flush with-the rear face of the said flange C on the practice barrel. The breech block during its closing movement therefore operates upon the small-calibre cartridge C of the practice barrel as though it were the full calibre cartridge of the gun and when the breech block occupies the fully closed p0 sition the striker or firing pin lies opposite the percussion cap of the'said small-calibre cartridge which is firedby releasing the striker in the usual manner.

For the extraction of the small-calibre cartridge case, a special extractor arm D is provided in place of the lower one of the usual extractor arms of the gun,this special ex-' tractor arm having an upward extension'D' of sufficient length to enable its end to engage with the flange of the small-calibre cartridge 0*; otherwise this extractor arm is similar to the usual extractor arm and is operated. in the ordinary manner by the co-operation of the existing cam surface B on the breech block with. a toe-piece D of the extractor arm D. The other usual extractor arm is replaced by a retaining lever E, E of bell-crank form, the inner arm E of this lever bearing against the aforesaid projection C on the flange C of the practice barrel C to prevent the latter from falling out of the gun when the breech mechanism is opened with the gun at elevation. The outer arm E of the said retaining lever has an adjustable screw E 'which bears against the breech ring of the gun and by means of which the inner arm E can be forced into contact with the said projection C This projection may extend rearwards beyond the face of the aforesaid fiangeon the practice barrel, but is so arranged as to lie opposite the existing recess provided in the breech block to form the aforesaid cam surface l3 and is therefore out of contact with the- .breech block. To convert the breech mechanism into a condition for using the practice barrel, it is merely necessary to remove the actuating shaft B and the two usual extractor arms, to substitute the aforesaid special extractor arm D and the aforesaid retaining lever E, E for the said usual extractor arms, and to then replace the actuating shaft. I

What we claim and desire to secure by Let ters Patent ot' the United States is l. A small calibre practice barrel for a breech loading gun, comprising a flange on the base of said barrel, said flange having a surface for cooperating with the breech recess of the gun in which said barrel is in,

tended to be used, wiich cooperation prevents the practice barrel from moving about its axis during firing, and a chamber in said base for the reception of the small calibr cartridge.

2. A small calibre practice barrel for a breech loading gun, comprising a flange on the base of said barrel, said flange having surfaces on opposite sides for co-operating with the walls the breech recess of the gun in which said barrel is intended to be used, which co-o )eration prevents the practice barrel from moving about its axis during iring, and a chamber in said base for the reception of the small calibre cartridge.

A small-calibre practice barrel for a breech loading gun, comprising a flange on the base of said barrel, projections on said flange for co-operating with the walls of the breech recess of the gun in which said barrel is intended to be used and a chamber in said base in which chamber the smalhcalibre cartridge is adapted to lie with its rear face flush with the'rear face of said fiang.

l. In breech loading guns intended to receive a small-calibre practice barrel, the com- :bination with the wedge breech block, of a special extractor arm replacing one of the usual extractor arms for the gun cartridge case, said special extractor arm being formed to engage with the cartridge of the smallcalibre practice barrel and being operated by the existing cam surface on said breech block.

In breech. loading guns intended to receive a small-calibre practice barrel, the com bination with the wedge breech block, of a special extractor arm replacing oneoli the usual extractor arms'ttor the gun cartridge case, said special extractor arm being formed to engage with the cartridge of the smallcalibre practice barrel and being operated by the existing cam surface on said breech block, and a retaining lever for the practice barrel, said lever replacing the other one of the usual extractor arms for the gun cartridge case. 7

ARTlI-IUR TREVOR DAl VSON. GEORGE THOMAS BUGKHAM. 

